I'm not sure if this should be in the staffroom or here.
I have been working as a teacher here for five years now. I have noticed in this time a lot of discipline problems from Leuk Kreung students, especially the boys. As a father of a future male Leuk Kreung student I was wondering if anyone had formed this same opinion. That Leuk Kreung boys are generally more boisterous and a large number of them have authority figure problems.
I have also noted that these authority figure problems are worse when the boy is dealing with a Thai teacher. Any thoughts?
We could all sit outside on banana lounges discussing the best way to rebuild a 4WD transmission and agree, through shared stories of conquests supporting our assertions, that there is no basis to the proposition that those least assured of their persuasions are the first to condemn others for theirs.
Interesting post. We have a few too - and they dont exactly shine, either academically or behaviour-wise. I think they are trying to be different from the rest of the kids. The certainly achieve that goal, but in a rather negative way. These seem to be the kids torn between two cultures. The ones that seem to excel have accepted either, whether they become more 'thai' or 'falang'.
Discipline is a reduntant word in Thailand. I've noticed appalling behaviour from young boys, L.K's. included, being indulged by women who then complain when the 'beasts' grow up that Thai men treat women badly. Physician heal thyself.
Never have taught a luek kreung. Do you all work in international schools? Do leuk kreungs go to 'normal' Thai schools?
banging the gong...
I've been working in Bilingual Pratom schools most of my time here. But I have crossed paths with Leuk Kreung boys through language schools of Matayom and adult levels. My impression is that 90% are 'problem' students. Other teachers at my school agreed on this in a lunch conversation last week. Some of these teachers have been working in Thailand for ten+ years. Having some consensus I thought I'd ask the board.
Possible reasons? Cultural gap, Already different, Bored (or feel they know how to speaka da Angrit leaow), Farang parent pushing the west over Thai, Genes?
What does everyone think?
Leuk Kreung boysThat says it all. What male student in Thailand is *not* a problem student? I taught boys only for a few years and there were rare instances of any of them sitting down quietly for more than a minute. It's the way males are socialized here, not because they're leuk kreung. They are spoiled. They may be bored too, especially if mom or dad speak English fluently (why would they be in an EFL class anyway??).My impression is that 90% are 'problem' students
How about looking at it from someone who is from a minority group.
They feel they don't belong in one catergory. They don't belong in Thai Culture, They dont belong in Farang Culture. I would only base this assumption on a program where they followed a black man who was West Indian, to London.
He thought he would get all racial abuse from white people, but he got racial abuse from African Blacks because he was not "true" African and abused from the Indian side because he was not "true indian Asian" descent.
Maybe, they feel they don't belong, and thats why they have the issues they have. Just showing the negative sides of both cultures, rather than the benefits.
E
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Spoiled by your Dad, despised by your peers, plus the rather warped personality of any teenage boy in Thailand- that's never going to be a good combination.
Distrust all in whom the urge to punish is strong.
I can understand that being the case in other countries, but in Thailand leuk kreung are worshipped.Maybe, they feel they don't belong
Hey! That's me! Maybe I'm...leuk kreung?They don't belong in Thai Culture, They dont belong in Farang Culture
This is what I experienced. I had a boy that wanted to identify with me rather than the Thai teacher.Originally Posted by ElectrO
He wasn't sure where he fitted in.
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The one I had for six weeks this year was quiet, back row, straight male, no trouble at all, modest, obviously half-White, about 16. The one we had two years ago was 13, class leader, female, mischievious, half Hungarian (spoke Magyar!) and wasn't a serious problem.
Is it an exaggeration to say they're 'worshipped'? Who worships DJ Pat?
I'm prone to exaggerate.Is it an exaggeration to say they're 'worshipped'?
In the mass media they are highly sought-after. How's that?
Already experienced the sometimes unwanted attention my son generates in public. Especially from Thai women. They all want to pinch his cheeks or touch his head. Even had a few pull his pants open to check his equipment.
Quite often they will try to give him food or toys (primarily toy stall operators). whereupon he throws a tantrum when he either can't have it, or has to give it back.
Been told I am a bad father because I don't let them mollycoddle and smother the boy. I've had to raise a closed fist on several occasions after repeatedley asking them to leave him alone. They ignored me until I threatened them.
After I am of course a 'crazy foriegner'.
I have taught a few Leuk Kreungs who were excellent students both behaiviourly and academically, so I personally don't think it is genes. More likely environment as several have posted already.
I've had people grabbing my son's head and twisting it round so they can see his face but i can see problems coming already. Thai kids who don't know him stare at him like he's an alien and call him falang even though his Thai is fine. Most kids don't like to be made to feel different and just want to fit in. I'm not sure thats going to be very esay for him.
I wear black on the outside because black is how i feel on the inside.
I've taught several over the years and I've experienced the opposite. They have been good students and not a behavioral problem. Do be aware, however, that there is a difference between Asian children and Western children with regard to excitability. Studies done quite a few years ago, found that new born western children are more easily excited and will cry louder and longer than Asian children. This said, you can expect that some of that influence will be there and they may be less "meek" than we are used to.
I also noticed that most (a few had been abandoned at birth by the falang father so were socially only Thai) were more open and questioning and more likely to argue a point.
Good topic though and I will keep my eyes open in the future. Maybe I've been lucky.
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